Patricia Inácio, PhD,  science writer—

Cells present in the outer rims of small blood vessels in the lung, called pericytes, convert from a healthy state into a fibrotic one, promoting the progression of pulmonary fibrosis, new findings suggest. The discovery shows how pericytes respond to the microenvironment in the lungs, especially the mechanical changes in…

Looking at pulmonary fibrosis (PF) as an age-related disease and working with a gene therapy that lengthens the life of lung cells, researchers report that they were able to lessen — and even stop — lung fibrosis in mice. “This is the first time that pulmonary fibrosis has been treated as an age-related disease, looking for rejuvenating the affected tissues,” Maria A. Blasco, study's lead author and group leader at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), in Madrid, said in a press release. The study “Therapeutic effects of telomerase in mice with pulmonary fibrosis induced by damage to the lungs and short telomeres” was published in the journal eLife.

Advanced Interactive Response Systems (AIRS), Owlstone Medical and patientMpower are the three winners of the $1 million IPF Catalyst Challenge presented by Three Lakes Partners, a philanthropy organization financing research of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The three winners will receive $333,333 each to develop their projects. Level Ex received the competition’s Audience…

A project that aims to develop a new system to deliver therapies specifically to the lungs of patients with pulmonary fibrosis (PF) was awarded a research grant by the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Medical Innovation. The funding was part of the center’s 2017 Round 2 Pilot Funding Program…

Researchers identified a molecular pathway called ER stress, and a molecular factor known as PI3K, as promoters of pulmonary fibrosis in mice. This research suggests that PI3K and ER stress inhibitors are potential therapeutic options for pulmonary fibrosis. The study reporting the findings, “Involvement of ER stress, PI3K/AKT activation,…

Health Canada has issued a safety warning on Boehringer Ingelheim’s idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis therapy Ofev (nintedanib) after patients in a number of countries developed liver injuries and one died. IPF patients should stop taking Ofev and seek medical assistance if they develop signs of liver damage, Canadian officials said. Those…

Bellerophon Therapeutics has enrolled the first pulmonary hypertension patient in a Phase 2b clinical trial of its INOpulse nitric oxide delivery system. The trial (NCT03267108) of the blood-vessel-widening device will cover people with pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease, or PH-ILD. This includes people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis,…

Throughout 2017, Pulmonary Fibrosis News Today reported daily discoveries, therapeutic developments, and events related to pulmonary fibrosis. Here, we review the top 10 most-read articles of 2017, with a brief description of what made them interesting and relevant to PF patients, family members, and caregivers. No. 10 – Esbriet’s Efficacy…

A factor called Krüpple-like-factor 4, or KLF4, treated lung fibrosis in a mouse model of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) by preventing epithelial cells of the lung from moving into a fibrosis-promoting state, researchers in China report, suggesting its potential as an IPF therapy. The study “Krüpple-like-factor 4 Attenuates Lung…

A team of researchers discovered that a protein called RAGE can fix damage inflicted to DNA molecules, and also repair lung scarring in mice. The study reporting the findings, “Homeostatic nuclear RAGE-ATM interaction is essential for efficient DNA repair,” was published in the journal Nucleic Acids Research.